Bottle cap



Jan. 1, 1946.. J, TESSIER 2,392,274

BOTTLE CAP Filed Sept. 3, 1943 Patented Jan. 1, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE f 2,392,274 BOTTLE CAP Joseph D. Tessier, Worcester, Mass. "Application September 3, 1943, Serial. No. 501,345

6 Claims.

This invention relates toa'bottle cap particularly for small neck bottles ordinarily used for beverages.

Objects of. the invention-include the provision of a bottle cap-having manually operated means for applying the cap to a bottle to hermetically close the same, and also to remove the cap from the bottle; the provision of a bottle cap which is relatively simple in nature and easy to manufac ture and yet is efiicient in operation and positively prevents escape of gas in the bottle; the provision of a bottle cap as aforesaid which is easily applied to and removed from the neck of a bottle and which may be used indefinitely as it will not become deformed nor will it wear out no matter how long or often it is used.

Further objects of the invention reside in a bottle cap of the nature described, including a rotary finger piece which is turned in one direction to clamp the cap to a bottle and in the other direction to release the bottle cap.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of my new bottle p;

Fig. 2 is an elevational end view;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view;

Fig. 4 is a plan view with the finger piece removed;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the finger piece; and Fig. 6 is a side view of one of the clamping aws.

My new bottle cap includes a rotary finger piece ID, a bottom bottle neck-receiving element [2 having a base l3 and a downwardly extending skirt M to receive the neck of the bottle, a pair of clamping jaws I6, and-a screw I8. All the parts may be made in any desired way, and it is preferred that the finger piece I 0 and the bottom element 12 should be made of plastic, although I do not limit myself to this material. The jaws [6 may also be made of plastic but preferably these jaws areof pressed metal.

The finger piece I0 is round and ma be largely hollow or solid whichever is preferred. The bottom element I2 is also round, the skirt l4, however, being interrupted as at 20 at diametrically opposite points (see Figs. 3 and 4). At the side edges of the interruptions 20 there are outwardly extending elements 22 which may be used as finger grips if desired. The jaws l6, of which there are two, are exactly alike and may be made in the same die. Each jaw comprises a fiat plate 24 which slides in a groove '28 in the top portio of the bottom element base [3. Each plate 24 has an enlarged portion 28 which is bent to a reverse angle as shown at '30, the, angle portion. 30 forming the gripping jaws which will be posi tione'd under the pouring lip of a bottlewhenithe jaws are brought together by means to be described. The screw 18 projects upwardly from the bottom element l2 and passes through a pair of slots 32 in the corresponding edges of the plates 24 of jaws l6 and it will be seen that slots 32 permit relative sliding motion of the jaws in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4. Each plate 24 has a lug 34 projecting upwardly therefrom for cooperation with eccentric grooves 36 located in the L bottom of the finger piece Ill. The screw l8 projects into a threaded hole 38 and locks the parts together.

In applying a bottle cap to a bottle the finger piece I0 is rotated to bring the angle elements 30 of the jaws [6 as far apart as possible and then the cap is placed over the neck of the bottle, the latter being received only in the bottom element l2. The finger piece is then reversely rotated to bring the jaws toward each other by means of slots 36 into which the lugs 34 project. The free ends of the jaws thus are projected under the pouring lip of the bottle and by a cam action force the bottle neck into contact with the base. The friction of the parts will hold the jaws in clamped position so that the cap cannot be removed accidentally. Any ordinary beverage bottle will be accommodated by my bottle cap, it being noted that variation in the bottle w ll not detract from the efficiency of this invention because of the wide range of adjustment of the jaws. The finger piece I0 cannot be removed by turning it off the screw because the lugs 34 will prevent any unwarranted turning of the finger piece.

It has been found that bottles have variations as to their inside diameter, and therefore, the

'ordinarycork or stopper is very often of little effect. The outside diameters of bottles are of fairly uniform character, but they vary slightly and therefore it will be seen that in order to provide an effective bottle cap of this nature it is necessary to have a sufiicient range of adjustment of the clamping pieces to accommodate various types of bottles.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set 'forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A bottle cap for bottles having a pouring lip, said cap comprising a circular skirted bottleneckreceiving element having slots thereima plurality of l ke 'J'aWs mounted for radial sliding movement relative to the element, each jaw being arranged to move in a slot, a rotary finger piece mounted groove, a circular finger piece rotatable on the element and effective to cover the jaws and base,

a projecting lug on each jaw, eccentric grooves to receive the neck of a bottle, means providing s interruptions in the skirt, a movable jaw element located in each interruption and constructed and arranged to move radially of the base in said inin the finger piece cooperating with the lugs to mutually retract the jaws or selectively to approach the jaws toward each other, acircuiar wall depending from thebase, slots in the wall, and

each jaw being arranged to move in a slot.

3. A bottle cap comprising a bottle neck-receiving portion including a circular base, a circular circumferential skirt depending therefrom terruptions, a rotatable fingeigpiece, cam means on the jaws and finger piece ooperating to move the former toward each other or selectively apart, means mounting the finger piece on the base, said finger piece being circular and having a diameter substantially the same as that ofr'the base and skirt, and having a height comparable to the r 7 length of the skirt, saidfinger piece complete] overlying and concealing the cam means.

4. A bottle cap as recited in claim 3 including a groove in the base in which the jaws are'received and confinedto a rectilinear motion, said finger piece covering the jaws in ing exit thereof. I

5. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said last named means each comprises a free-ended resilient tongue inclined with respect to the jaws.

the groove and prevent- 6. A bottle cap as recited in claim 2 including inclined resilient gripping tongues on each jaw, said tongues extending toward each other, said circular wall extending below the tongues.

' JOSEPH D. TESSIER. i 

